U.S. patent application number 10/579549 was filed with the patent office on 2007-05-10 for engine with an active mono-energy and/or bi-energy chamber with compressed air and/or additional energy and thermodynamic cycle thereof.
Invention is credited to Cyril Negre, Guy Negre.
Application Number | 20070101712 10/579549 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34508500 |
Filed Date | 2007-05-10 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070101712 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Negre; Guy ; et al. |
May 10, 2007 |
Engine with an active mono-energy and/or bi-energy chamber with
compressed air and/or additional energy and thermodynamic cycle
thereof
Abstract
An engine uses a top dead center piston stop device. It is fed
by compressed air, via a working capacity, which, in the bi-energy
version, includes a device for heating the air supplied by
additional energy. The active expansion chamber consists of a
variable volume or charge piston sliding in a cylinder, coupled to
a space above the engine piston via a passage. When stoped at upper
dead center, the pressurized air is admitted into the expansion
chamber with the smallest volume thereof and, under the effect of
thrust, increases the volume thereof by producing work; the
expansion chamber is then kept at a maximum volume during expansion
of the engine cylinder driving back the engine piston in its
downward stroke, providing work of its own. During exhaust, the two
pistons travel in an upward stroke and simultaneously reach top
dead center in order to resume a new cycle.
Inventors: |
Negre; Guy; (Carros Cedex,
FR) ; Negre; Cyril; (Carros Cedex, FR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
YOUNG & THOMPSON
745 SOUTH 23RD STREET
2ND FLOOR
ARLINGTON
VA
22202
US
|
Family ID: |
34508500 |
Appl. No.: |
10/579549 |
Filed: |
November 17, 2004 |
PCT Filed: |
November 17, 2004 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/FR04/02929 |
371 Date: |
January 17, 2007 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
60/517 ; 60/516;
60/525 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F02B 75/32 20130101;
F02B 41/00 20130101; F01B 17/02 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
060/517 ;
060/516; 060/525 |
International
Class: |
F01B 29/08 20060101
F01B029/08; F02G 1/04 20060101 F02G001/04; F01K 25/00 20060101
F01K025/00; F01B 29/10 20060101 F01B029/10 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Nov 17, 2003 |
FR |
0313401 |
Claims
1. Active chamber engine comprising at least one piston (1) sliding
in a cylinder (2) controlled by a device for stopping the piston at
top dead centre and supplied with compressed air or any other gas
at high pressure contained in a storage reservoir (22) which is
reduced to an average pressure called the working pressure in a
work capacity (19) preferably through a dynamic pressure reducing
valve characterized: In that the expansion chamber consists of a
variable volume fitted with the means to produce work and that is
joined to and in contact with the space contained above the main
engine piston by means of a permanent passage(12), In that when the
piston is stopped at top dead centre, the air or gas under pressure
is admitted into the expansion chamber when this is at its smallest
volume and, under the thrust of this air under pressure, increases
its volume by producing work, In that the expansion chamber being
maintained at very nearly its maximum volume, the compressed air
contained within then expands into the engine cylinder thus pushing
the engine piston downwards along its travel by in turn supplying
work, In that during the upwards travel of the engine piston during
the exhaust stroke, the variable volume in the expansion chamber is
returned to its smallest volume to restart the complete work
cycle.
2. Active chamber engine according to claim 1 characterized in that
the work cycle of the active chamber with regard to the cycle of
the engine piston comprises three phases such that: When the engine
piston is stopped at top dead centre: admission of a charge into
the active chamber producing work by increasing its volume, During
the expansion travel of the engine piston: maintenance at a
predetermined volume which is the actual volume of the expansion
chamber, During the exhaust stroke of the engine piston:
repositioning of the active chamber to its minimum volume to enable
the cycle to be renewed.
3. Active chamber engine according to claim 2 for which the
operating thermodynamic cycle in compressed air mono-energy mode is
characterized by an isothermal expansion without work with
conservation of energy, carried out between the high pressure
compressed air storage reservoir and the work capacity, followed by
a transfer accompanied by a very slight expansion in the pressure
cylinder known as quasi-isothermal with work, then a polytropic
expansion with work in the engine cylinder and lastly an exhaust at
atmospheric pressure i.e. four phases as follows: An isothermal
expansion without work, A transfer--slight expansion with work
known as quasi-isothermal, A polytropic expansion with work, An
exhaust at ambient pressure.
4. Active chamber engine according to claim 1 characterized in that
the work capacity (19) comprises a device (25,26) for heating the
compressed air with a supplementary energy provided by fossil or
other fuel, the said device increasing the temperature and/or
pressure of the air passing through it.
5. Active chamber engine according to claim 4 characterized in that
the compressed air is heated by the combustion of fossil or
biological fuel directly in the compressed air, the engine then
being said to be of the external internal combustion type.
6. Active chamber engine according to claim 4 characterized in that
the compressed air contained in the work capacity is heated by the
combustion of fossil or biological fuel in a heat exchanger, the
flame not coming into direct contact with the compressed air, the
engine then being said to be of the external-external combustion
type.
7. Active chamber engine according to claim 4 characterized in that
the thermal heater uses a thermochemical gas solid reaction process
based on the transformation by evaporation of a reagent fluid
contained in an evaporator, for example liquid ammonium or a gas
which reacts with a solid reagent contained in a reactor, for
example salts such as calcium, magnesium or barium chlorides or
others whose chemical reaction produces heat and which, when the
reaction has finished can be regenerated by heating the reactor
which cases the desorption of the gaseous ammonium which
recompenses in the evaporator.
8. Active chamber engine according to claim 4 whose thermodynamic
cycle when working in bi-energy mode with supplementary energy is
characterized by an isothermal expansion without work with
conservation of energy carried out in the work capacity by an
increase in temperature by the heating of the air by a fossil
energy followed by a very slight expansion known as
quasi-isothermal with work, a polytropic expansion with work in the
engine cylinder and lastly an exhaust at atmospheric pressure
representing 5 successive phases as follows: An isothermal
expansion, An increase in temperature, A transfer--slight expansion
with work known as quasi-isothermal, A polytropic expansion with
work, An exhaust at ambient pressure.
9. Active chamber engine according to claim 1 characterized in that
the torque and the speed of the engine are controlled by
controlling the pressure in the work capacity (19).
10. Active chamber engine according to claim 1 characterized in
that during operation in bi-energy mode with supplementary energy,
an electronic computer controls the quantity of energy used
according to the pressure of the compressed air therefore the mass
of the air introduced into the said work capacity.
11. Active chamber engine according to claim 1 characterized in
that the volume of the active chamber is made up of a piston (14)
called the pressure piston sliding in a cylinder (13) and connected
by a connecting rod (15) to the crank of the engine (9) according
to a classic drive sequence.
12. Active chamber engine according to claim 11 characterized in
that the travel of the pressure piston (14) is determined such that
when the volume chosen as volume of the chamber has been reached
and during the downward travel of the engine piston (1), the
pressure piston (14) finishes its downward travel and starts its
upward travel so as to reach its top dead centre approximately at
the same time as the engine piston reaches its top dead centre.
13. Active chamber engine according to claim 1 characterized in
that to enable autonomous operation of the engine during its use
with supplementary energy and/or when the compressed air storage
reservoir (22) is empty, the active chamber engine according to the
invention is connected to an air compressor (27) to supply
compressed air to the high pressure compressed air storage
reservoir (22).
14. Active chamber engine according to claim 13 characterized in
that the air compressor (27) directly supplies the work capacity
(19). In this case, the engine is controlled by controlling the
pressure of the compressor (27) and the dynamic pressure reducing
valve (21) between the high pressure storage reservoir and the work
capacity remains blocked off.
15. Active chamber engine according to claim 14 characterized in
that the coupled air compressor (27) supplies simultaneously or
successively in combination the storage reservoir (22) and the work
capacity (19).
16. Active chamber engine according to claim 1 characterized by a
mono-energy operation with a fossil fuel (or other), the work
capacity (19) being supplied only by the coupled air compressor
(27), the high pressure compressed air storage reservoir being
purely and simply omitted.
17. Active chamber engine according to claim 6 characterized in
that the exhaust after expansion is recalculated to the inlet of
the coupled air compressor.
18. Active chamber engine according to claim 1 working in
compressed air mono-energy mode characterized in that the engine is
comprised of multiple expansion stages of increasing cylinder sizes
each stage comprising an active chamber according to the invention
and in that, between each stage a heat exchanger (29) is positioned
to heat the exhaust air from the previous stage.
19. Active chamber engine according to claim 18 operating in
bi-energy mode characterized in that the heat exchanger positioned
between each stage is fitted with a heating device running on
supplementary energy.
20. Active chamber engine according to claim 19 characterized in
that the heat exchangers and the heating device are combined
together or separately in a multiple stage device using the same
energy source.
Description
[0001] The invention concerns an engine which runs notably on
compressed air or any other gas, and more particularly using a
piston travel control device which stops the piston at top dead
centre for a period of time together with a device for recovering
ambient thermal energy which can operate in mono- or bi-energy
mode.
[0002] The author has registered numerous patents concerning drive
systems along with their installations using compressed air for
totally clean operation in urban and suburban locations: [0003] WO
96/27737 WO 97/00655 [0004] WO 97/48884 WO 98/12062 WO 98/15440
[0005] WO 98/32963 WO 99/37885 WO 99/37885
[0006] For the implementation of these inventions, he has also
described in his patent application WO 99/63206, to which reference
should be made, an engine piston travel control device and process
which enables the piston to be stopped at top dead centre, a
process also described in his patent application WO 99/20881 to
which reference should also be made and concerning the operation of
these engines with mono-energy or bi-energy and two or three
powering modes.
[0007] In his patent application WO 99/37885 to which reference
should also be made, he proposes a solution which increases the
amount of usable and available energy which can be used which uses
the fact that, before being introduced into the combustion and/or
expansion chamber of the engine, the compressed air coming from the
storage reservoir either directly or via the heat exchanger(s) of
the ambient thermal energy recovery device is channelled into a
thermal heater where, by increasing its temperature, the pressure
and/or volume is further increased before introduction into the
combustion and/or expansion chamber of the engine thus further
considerably increasing the performance which can be obtained by
the said engine.
[0008] In spite of the use of fossil fuel, the use of a thermal
heater has the advantage of enabling clean continuous combustion to
be used which can be catalyzed or depolluted by any existing means
in order to obtain minimal polluting emissions.
[0009] The author has registered a patent no. WO 03/036088 A1, to
which reference should be made, concerning a motor compressor-motor
generator unit with supplementary compressed air injection
operating in mono- or multi-energy.
[0010] In these types of engine operating with compressed air and
comprising a storage reservoir of compressed air, the compressed
air held at high pressure in the reservoir but whose pressure
reduces as the reservoir is emptied, must be lowered to a stable
intermediate pressure known as the final usage pressure in a buffer
capacity known as the work capacity before being used in the engine
cylinder(s). The well-known conventional pressure reducing valves
using diaphragms and springs have very low flow rates and their use
for this application requires very heavy poorly-performing devices;
furthermore, they are very susceptible to freezing due to the
humidity of the air chilled during the pressure drop.
[0011] To resolve this problem, the author has also registered a
patent WO 03/089764 Al, to which reference should also be made,
concerning a variable flow reducing valve and distribution system
for compressed air injection engines, comprising a high-pressure
compressed air tank and a work capacity.
[0012] The author has also registered a patent application WO
02/070876 A1 concerning an expansion chamber with a variable volume
comprising two separate tanks one of which is in communication with
the compressed air inlet and the other joined to the cylinder,
which may be connected together or isolated from one another such
that during the exhaust cycle, it is possible to charge the first
of the tanks with compressed air then establish the pressure in the
second at the end of the exhaust cycle while the piston is at TDC
and before restarting its travel, the two tanks remaining in
communication and releasing pressure together to carry out the
engine stroke and that at least one of the tanks is provided with a
means of changing their volume to enable the resultant torque of
the engine to be varied at equal pressure.
[0013] The filling up of the chamber is always detrimental to the
general efficiency in the operation of these "pressure reduction"
engines.
[0014] The engine in the invention uses a device for stopping the
piston at top dead centre. It is powered, for preference, by
compressed air or any other compressed gas contained in a
high-pressure storage reservoir through a buffer tank called the
buffer capacity. The buffer capacity in the bi-energy version
comprises an air heating device powered by a supplementary energy
(fossil or other energy) which increases the temperature and/or
pressure of the air passing through it.
[0015] The engine according to the invention is characterized by
the means implemented taken together or separately and in
particular:
[0016] In that the expansion chamber consists of a variable volume
fitted with the means to produce work and that is joined to and in
contact with the space contained above the main engine piston by
means of a permanent passage.
[0017] In that when the piston is stopped at top dead centre, the
air or gas under pressure is admitted into the expansion chamber
when this is at its smallest volume and, under its thrust,
increases its volume by producing work,
[0018] In that the expansion chamber being maintained at very
nearly its maximum volume, the compressed air contained within then
expands into the engine cylinder thus pushing the engine piston
downwards along its travel by in turn supplying work,
[0019] In that as the engine piston rises during the exhaust
stroke, the variable volume in the expansion chamber is returned to
its smallest volume to restart the complete work cycle.
[0020] The expansion chamber of the engine according to the
invention actively participates in the work. The engine according
to the invention is called an active chamber engine.
[0021] The engine according to the invention is favourably fitted
with a variable flow pressure reducing valve according to WO
03/089764 Al called a dynamic pressure reducing valve which feeds
the work capacity at its usage pressure with the compressed air
from the storage reservoir by carrying out an isothermal pressure
reduction without work.
[0022] The thermodynamic cycle according to the invention is
characterized by an isothermal expansion without work enabled by
the dynamic pressure reducing valve followed by a transfer
accompanied by a very slight quasi-isothermal expansion--for
example a capacity of 3,000 cubic centimetres in a capacity of 3050
cubic centimetres--with work using the air pressure contained in
the work capacity while the expansion chamber is filling, then a
polytropic expansion from the expansion chamber into the engine
cylinder with work and lowering of the temperature to finish by the
exhaust of the expanded air into the atmosphere.
[0023] According to the invention, the thermodynamic cycle
therefore comprises four phases in compressed air mono-energy mode:
[0024] An isothermal expansion without work, [0025] A
transfer--slight expansion with work known as quasi-isothermal,
[0026] A polytropic expansion with work, [0027] An exhaust at
ambient pressure.
[0028] It its bi-energy application according to the invention and
in supplementary fuel mode, the compressed air contained in the
work capacity is heated by supplementary energy in a thermal
heater. The arrangement enables the quantity of usable and
available energy to be increased due to the fact that before being
introduced into the active chamber the compressed air rises in
temperature and increases its pressure and/or volume enabling
increases in performance and/or autonomy. The use of a thermal
heater has the advantage of enabling clean continuous combustion to
be used which can be catalyzed or depolluted by any existing means
in order to obtain minimal polluting emissions.
[0029] A thermal heater can use fossil fuels such as petrol, diesel
or vehicle LPG, bio fuels or alcohols--ethanol, methanol--thus
achieving bi-energy operation with external combustion where a
burner is used to increase the temperature.
[0030] According to a variant of the invention, the heater
favourably uses thermochemical processes based on absorption and
desorption processes such as those used and described, for example,
in patents EP 0 307297 A1 and EP 0 382586 B1, these processes using
the evaporation of a fluid, for example liquid ammonium, into gas
reacting with salts such as calcium or manganese chlorides or
others, the system operating like a thermal battery.
[0031] According to a variant of the invention, the active chamber
engine is fitted with a thermal heater with a burner, or other, and
a thermochemical heater of the type previously cited which would be
able to be used jointly or successively during phase 1 of the
thermochemical heater where the thermal heater using the burner is
used to regenerate (phase 2) the thermochemical heater when the
latter is empty by using the heater with the burner to heat its
reactor during the continuation of operation of the unit.
[0032] Where a combustion heater is used, the active chamber engine
according to the invention is an external combustion chamber engine
called an external combustion engine. However, either the
combustions of the said heater can be internal in applying the
flame directly to the operating compressed air, the engine then
being said to be "external-internal combustion", or the combustions
of the said heater are external by heating the operating air
through a heat exchanger where the engine is said to be
"external-external combustion".
[0033] In operating mode with supplementary energy, the
thermodynamic cycle comprises five phases: [0034] An isothermal
expansion, [0035] An increase in temperature, [0036] A
transfer--slight expansion with work known as quasi-isothermal,
[0037] A polytropic expansion with work, [0038] An exhaust at
ambient pressure.
[0039] All mechanical, hydraulic, electrical or other devices used,
as far as the engine cycle is concerned, to carry out the three
phases of the work cycle of the active chamber, i.e.:
[0040] When the engine piston is stopped at top dead centre:
admission of a charge into the active chamber producing work by
increasing its volume,
[0041] During the expansion travel of the engine piston:
maintenance at a predetermined volume which is the actual volume of
the expansion chamber,
[0042] During the exhaust stroke of the engine piston:
repositioning of the active chamber to its minimum volume to enable
the cycle to be renewed, may be used without changing the principle
of the invention described.
[0043] For preference, the variable volume expansion chamber known
as the active chamber is made up of a piston known as the pressure
piston sliding in a cylinder and linked by a connecting rod to the
crank of the engine, a classic design which determines a two-phase
sequence: downward travel and upward travel.
[0044] The engine piston is controlled by a device for stopping the
piston at top dead centre which determines a three-phase sequence:
upward travel, stop at top dead centre and downward travel.
[0045] To enable the engine to be set according to the invention,
the travels of the pressure piston and the engine piston are
different, that of the pressure piston being longer and
predetermined such that when during the downward travel of the
pressure piston, the volume chosen as being the "actual volume of
the expansion chamber" is reached, the downward travel of the
engine piston starts and that, during this downward travel, the
pressure piston continues and terminates its own downward
travel--thus producing work--then starts its upward travel while
the engine piston with a shorter and quicker travel, catches it up
in its upward travel so that both pistons reach their dead centres
at roughly the same time. It should be noted that during the start
of its upward travel, the pressure piston is subject to a negative
work which, de facto, has been compensated by an additional
positive work at the end of its downward travel.
[0046] During operation in compressed air mode, on a vehicle
running in an urban location operating without pollution for
example, only the pressure of the compressed air stored in the high
pressure reservoir is used; in bi-energy operation in supplementary
energy mode (fossil or other), on a vehicle running on the open
road with minimal pollution for example, the heating of the work
capacity is then required to increase the temperature of the air
passing through it and consequently its usable volume and/or
pressure thus giving better performance and/or autonomy.
[0047] According to the invention, the engine is controlled as
regards torque and speed by controlling the pressure in the work
capacity, this being favourably achieved using the dynamic pressure
reducing valve. When it operates in bi-energy mode with
supplementary energy (fossil or other) an electronic computer
controls the quantity of supplementary energy provided according to
the pressure in the said work capacity.
[0048] According to a variant of the invention, to enable
autonomous operation of the engine during its use with
supplementary energy and/or when the compressed air storage
reservoir is empty, the active chamber engine according to the
invention is connected to an air compressor to supply compressed
air to the high pressure compressed air storage reservoir.
[0049] The bi-energy active chamber engine thus equipped operates
normally in two modes by using, as an in-town vehicle for example,
zero-pollution operation with the compressed air contained in the
high pressure storage reservoir, and on the open road, still as an
example, in supplementary energy mode with its thermal heater
supplied by a fossil fuel or other energy source while using an air
compressor to re-supply air to the high-pressure storage
reservoir.
[0050] According to another variant of the invention, the air
compressor feeds the work capacity directly. In this case, the
engine is controlled by controlling the pressure of the compressor
and the dynamic pressure reducing valve between the high pressure
storage reservoir and the work capacity remains blocked off.
[0051] According to another variant of these arrangements, the air
compressor feeds either the high pressure reservoir or the work
capacity or both volumes in combination.
[0052] According to the invention, the bi-energy active chamber
engine has de facto three main operating modes: [0053] Mono-energy
compressed air [0054] Bi-energy compressed air plus supplementary
energy [0055] Mono-energy with supplementary fuel energy.
[0056] The active chamber engine may also be produced in
mono-energy with fossil or other fuel when it is attached to an air
compressor feeding the work capacity as described above, the high
pressure compressed air storage reservoir then being simply
removed.
[0057] In the case of operation in supplementary energy mode with
use of external-external combustion, the exhaust from the active
chamber engine can be recycled to the compressor inlet.
[0058] According to a variant of the invention, the engine is made
up of multiple expansion stages, each stage comprising an active
chamber according to the invention. A heat exchanger is positioned
between each stage which heats the exhaust air from the previous
stage for mono-energy operation using compressed air and/or a
heating device using supplementary energy for bi-energy operation.
The displacement of each following stage is larger than that of the
preceding stage.
[0059] For a mono-energy compressed air engine, the expansion in
the first cylinder having lowered the temperature, the heating of
the air is done favourably using an air-air heat exchanger with
ambient temperature.
[0060] For a bi-energy engine using supplementary energy, the air
is heated using supplementary energy in a thermal heater, for
example using fossil fuel.
[0061] According to a variant of this arrangement, after each
stage, the exhaust air is directed towards a single heater with
several stages in order to use only one combustion source.
[0062] The heat exchangers can be air-air exchangers or air-liquid
or any other device or gas producing the desired effect.
[0063] The active chamber engine according to the invention can be
used in all terrestrial, maritime, railway or aeronautical engines.
The active chamber engine according to the invention can also and
favourably find applications in emergency electrical generator sets
and also in numerous domestic cogeneration applications producing
electricity, heating and air conditioning.
[0064] Other aims, benefits and characteristics of the invention
will be shown upon reading the descriptions of various possible,
but non-limiting, configurations shown in the appended diagrams,
where:
[0065] FIG. 1 gives a schematic representation of an active chamber
engine seen in cross-section with its HP air supply device.
[0066] FIGS. 2 to 4 are schematic representations in cross section
of the different operating phases of the engine according to the
invention.
[0067] FIG. 5 represents a comparative curve of the travel sequence
of the pressure piston and the engine piston.
[0068] FIG. 6 represents a graph of the thermodynamic cycle in
mono-energy mode using compressed air.
[0069] FIG. 7 gives a schematic representation of an active chamber
engine seen in cross-section with its HP air supply device
consisting of a device to heat the air by combustion.
[0070] FIG. 8 represents a graph of the thermodynamic cycle in
bi-energy mode using compressed air and supplementary energy.
[0071] FIG. 9 represents a schematic view of an active chamber
engine according to the invention connected to an air compressor
for autonomous operation.
[0072] FIG. 10 gives a schematic representation of an active
chamber engine according to the invention connected to an air
compressor feeding the storage reservoir and the work capacity.
[0073] FIG. 11 gives a schematic representation of an active
chamber engine according to the invention comprising two expansion
stages.
[0074] FIG. 12 gives a schematic representation of an active
chamber engine according to the invention in mono-energy mode with
fossil fuel.
[0075] FIG. 1 represents an active chamber engine according to the
invention which shows the engine cylinder in which piston 1 slides
(represented at its top dead centre), sliding in cylinder 2 which
is controlled by a pressure lever. Piston 1 is connected by its pin
to the free end 1A of a pressure lever made up of arm 3 articulated
on pin 5 common to another arm 4 fixed oscillating on immobile pin
6. On pin 5 common to arms 3 and 4 a control connecting rod 7 is
connected to crankpin 8 of crank 9 turning on its axis 10. When the
crank rotates, the control connecting rod 7 exercises a force on
common pin 5 of arms 3 and 4 of the pressure lever thus moving
piston 1 along the axis of cylinder 2 and transmits in return the
forces exercised on piston 1 during the engine stroke to crank 9
thus causing it to rotate. The engine cylinder is connected via
passage 12 in its upper part with active chamber cylinder 13 in
which piston 14 (known as the pressure piston) slides connected by
connecting rod 15 to crankpin 16 of crank 9. Inlet duct 17
controlled by valve 18 unblocks passage 12 linking engine cylinder
2 and active chamber cylinder 13 and feeds the engine with
compressed air from work capacity 19 maintained at the working
pressure and itself fed with compressed air through duct 20
controlled by dynamic pressure reducing valve 21 from high pressure
storage reservoir 22. Exhaust duct 23 controlled by exhaust valve
24 is provided in the upper part of cylinder 1.
[0076] A device controlled by the accelerator pedal controls
dynamic pressure reducing valve 21 to regulate the pressure in the
work chamber and thus control the engine.
[0077] FIG. 2 gives a schematic representation, seen in
cross-section, of the active chamber engine according to the
invention during the inlet phase. Engine piston 1 is stopped at its
top dead centre and inlet valve 18 has just been opened, the air
pressure contained in work capacity 19 repels pressure piston 14
while filling the cylinder of active chamber 13 and producing work
by rotating crank 9 via connecting rod 15, the work being
considerable as produced at quasi-constant pressure. Upon
continuing its rotation, the crank causes (FIG. 3) engine piston 1
to be displaced towards its bottom dead centre and almost
simultaneously, inlet valve 18 is closed again. The pressure
contained in the active chamber expands pushing engine piston 1
which produces work, in turn, by causing the rotation of crank 9
through its driveline assembly made up of arms 3 and 4 and control
connecting rod 7. During this cycle of engine piston 1, the
pressure piston continues its travel to the bottom dead centre then
starts back up towards its top dead centre, all the components
being adjusted such that during their upward travel (FIG. 4), the
pistons arrive almost simultaneously at their top dead centre when
the engine piston is stopped and the pressure piston restarts its
cycle. During the upwards travel of the two pistons, exhaust valve
24 is open in order to remove expanded compressed air through
exhaust duct 23.
[0078] FIG. 5 shows the slope of the comparative curves of the
piston travels where the rotation of the crank is shown on the
x-axis and the displacements of the pressure and engine pistons are
shown on the y-axis from their top dead centres to their bottom
dead centres and back again where, according to the invention, the
travel of the pressure piston is greater than that of the engine
piston. The graph is divided into 4 main phases. During phase A,
the engine piston is maintained at its top dead centre and the
pressure piston carries out the main part of its downward travel
producing work, then in phase B, the engine piston carries out its
downward expansion travel producing work while the pressure piston
finishes its downward travel also producing work. When the pressure
piston reaches its bottom dead centre, phase C, the engine piston
continues its downward travel and the pressure piston starts its
upward travel. It should be noted that during this phase the
pressure piston is subject to a negative work which, de facto, is
compensated by an additional positive work during phase B. In phase
D the two pistons reach their top dead centres almost
simultaneously to restart a new cycle. During phases A, B and C,
the engine produces work.
[0079] FIG. 6 represents the graph of the thermodynamic cycle in
compressed air mono-energy mode where the various phases of the
cycle in the various capacities which make up the active chamber
engine according to the invention are shown on the x-axis and the
pressures are shown on the y-axis. In the first capacity which is
the storage reservoir is shown a network of isothermal curves going
from storage pressure Pst to initial working pressure PIT, the
storage pressure reducing as the reservoir is emptied while the
pressure PIT will be controlled according to the desired torque
between a minimum operating pressure and a maximum operating
pressure, here, for example, between 10 bar and 30 bar. In the work
capacity, during the charging of the active chamber, the pressure
remains almost identical. When the inlet valve is opened, the
compressed air contained in the work capacity is transferred to the
active chamber producing work accompanied by a slight reduction in
pressure, for example, for a work capacity of 3000 cm.sup.3 and an
active chamber of 35 cm.sup.3, the pressure drop is 1.16% i.e., and
still as an example, an actual working pressure of 29.65 bar for an
initial working pressure of 30 bar. Then the engine piston starts
its downward travel with a polytropic expansion which produces work
with a lowering of the pressure until the exhaust valve is opened
(for example at about 2 bar) followed by a return to atmospheric
pressure for restarting a new cycle.
[0080] FIG. 7 represents the engine and its assembly in a bi-energy
version with supplementary energy which shows in work capacity 19 a
schematic device for heating the compressed air using supplementary
energy, here a burner 25 fed by gas cylinder 26. The combustion
represented in this figure is therefore external-internal
combustion and enables the volume and/or pressure of the compressed
air from the storage reservoir to be increased considerably.
[0081] FIG. 8 represents the graph of the thermodynamic cycle in
compressed air and supplementary energy bi-energy mode where the
various phases of the cycle in the various capacities which make up
the active chamber engine according to the invention are shown on
the x-axis and the pressures are shown on the y-axis. In the first
capacity which is the storage reservoir is shown a network of
isothermal curves going from storage pressure Pst to initial
working pressure PIT, the storage pressure reducing as the
reservoir is emptied while the pressure PIT will be controlled
according to the desired torque between a minimum operating
pressure and a maximum operating pressure, here, for example,
between 10 bar and 30 bar. In the work capacity, heating the
compressed air considerably increases the pressure from the initial
pressure PIT to the final working pressure PFT: for example for a
PIT of 30 bar, an increase in temperature of the order of 300
degrees gives a PFT of the order of 60 bar. When the inlet valve is
opened, the compressed air contained in the work capacity is
transferred to the active chamber producing work and accompanied by
a slight reduction in pressure: for example for a work capacity of
3000 cm.sup.3 and an active chamber of 35 cm.sup.3, the pressure
drop is 1.16% i.e., and still as an example, an actual working
pressure of 59.30 bars for an initial working pressure of 60 bars.
The engine piston then starts its downward travel with a polytropic
expansion which produces work with a lowering of the pressure until
the exhaust valve is opened (for example at about 4 bars) followed
by a return to atmospheric pressure during the exhaust stroke for
starting a new cycle.
[0082] The active chamber engine also works autonomously in
bi-energy mode with supplementary energy provided by fossil fuels
or other fuels (FIG. 9) where, according to a variant of the
invention, it drives air compressor 27 which supplies storage
reservoir 22. The general operation of the machine is the same as
described previously in FIGS. 1-4. This arrangement enables the
storage reservoir to be filled during operation with additional
energy but causes a relatively large energy loss due to the
compressor. According to another variant of the invention (not
shown on the drawings), the air compressor supplies the work
capacity directly. In this operating arrangement, dynamic pressure
reducing valve 21 is kept closed and the compressor supplies
compressed air to the work capacity, the compressed air being
heated by a heating device and is increased in pressure and/or
volume for supplying active chamber 13 as described in the previous
scenarios. The engine is controlled in this operating scenario by
directly regulating the pressure by the compressor and the energy
loss due to the compressor is much less than the previous scenario.
Finally, and according to another variant of the invention (FIG.
10), the compressor supplies high pressure storage reservoir 22 and
work capacity 19 simultaneously or successively depending on the
energy requirements. Bidirectional valve 28 is used to direct the
supply to either storage reservoir 22 or work capacity 19, or both
simultaneously. The choice is made according to the energy
requirements of the engine with regard to the energy requirements
of the compressor: if the demand on the engine is relatively low,
the high pressure reservoir is supplied. If the energy requirements
on the engine are high, only the work capacity is supplied.
[0083] FIG. 11 gives a schematic representation of an active
chamber engine according to the invention comprising two expansion
stages showing high pressure compressed air storage reservoir 22,
dynamic pressure reducing valve 21, work capacity 19 together with
the first stage comprising engine cylinder 2 in which piston 1
slides (represented at its top dead centre), which is controlled by
a pressure lever. Piston 1 is connected by its pin to the free end
1A of a pressure lever made up of arm 3 articulated on pin 5 common
to another arm 4 fixed oscillating on immobile pin 6. On common pin
5 a control connecting rod 7 is connected to arms 3 and 4 which is
connected to crankpin 8 of crank 9 turning on its pin 10. When the
crank rotates, the control connecting rod 7 exercises a force on
common pin 5 of arms 3 and 4 of the pressure lever thus moving
piston 1 along the axis of cylinder 2 and transmits in return the
forces exercised on piston 1 during the engine stroke to crank 9
thus causing it to rotate. The engine cylinder is connected via
passage 12 in its upper part with active chamber cylinder 13 in
which piston 14 (known as the pressure piston) slides connected by
connecting rod 15 to crankpin 16 of crank 9. Inlet duct 17
controlled by valve 18 unblocks passage 12 linking engine cylinder
2 and active chamber cylinder 13 and feeds the engine with
compressed air from work capacity 19 maintained at the working
pressure and itself fed with compressed air through duct 20
controlled by dynamic pressure reducing valve 21. Exhaust duct 23
is connected through heat exchanger 29 to inlet 17B of the second
stage of the engine comprising engine cylinder 2B in which piston
1B slides which is controlled by a pressure lever. Piston 1 B is
connected by its pin to the free end 1C of a pressure lever made up
of arm 3B articulated on pin 5B common to another arm 4B fixed
oscillating on immobile pin 6B. On pin 5B common to arms 3B and 4B,
a control connecting rod 7B is connected to crankpin 8B of crank 9
turning on its axis 10. When the crank rotates, the control
connecting rod 7B exercises a force on common pin 5B of arms 3B and
4B of the pressure lever thus moving piston 1 B along the axis of
cylinder 2B and transmits in return the forces exercised on piston
1B during the engine stroke to crank 9 thus causing it to rotate.
The engine cylinder is connected via passage 12B in its upper part
with active chamber cylinder 13B in which piston 14B (known as the
pressure piston) slides connected by connecting rod 15B to crankpin
16B of crank 9. Inlet duct 17B controlled by valve 18B unblocks
passage 12B linking engine cylinder 2B and active chamber cylinder
13B and feeds the engine with compressed air. In order to simplify
the drawing, the second stage is shown alongside the first stage.
It goes without saying that it is preferable to use only one crank
and that the second stage is on the same longitudinal plane as the
first stage. Exhaust duct 23 of the first engine stage is connected
through air-air heat exchanger 29 to admission duct 17B of the
second engine stage. In this type of configuration, the first stage
will be sized such that at the end of the engine expansion, the
exhaust air has a residual pressure which, after heating in the
air-air heat exchanger to increase its pressure and/or volume, will
provide sufficient energy to operate the following stage
correctly.
[0084] FIG. 12 shows a mono-energy active chamber engine operating
with fossil fuel. The engine is coupled to compressor 27 which
supplies compressed air to work capacity 19 which here includes
burner 25 supplied with energy from gas cylinder 26. The general
operation of the machine is the same as described previously.
[0085] The operation of the active chamber engine is described
assuming the use of compressed air. However, any compressed gas
could be used without changing the invention described.
[0086] The invention is not limited to the examples of
configurations described and represented: the materials, control
means and devices described may vary, while remaining equivalent,
to produce the same results. The number of engine cylinders, their
arrangement, volume and number of expansion stages may vary without
changing in any way the invention described.
* * * * *